Young Folks Treasury, Volume 3 (of 12) eBook

“Your Majesty,” he said, “this horse
can never be sold for money, but can only be exchanged
for something of equal value. It shall be thine
only if thou wilt give me instead the Princess, your
daughter, for my wife.”

At these words the King’s son sprang to his
feet.

“Sire,” he cried, “thou wilt never
dream of granting such a request.”

“My son,” answered the King, “at
whatever cost I must have this wonderful horse.
But before I agree to the exchange, I would wish thee
to try the horse, and tell me what thou thinkest of
it.”

The Indian, who stood listening to what they said,
was quite willing that the Prince should try the Enchanted
Horse, and began to give him directions how to guide
it. But as soon as the Prince was in the saddle
and saw the peg which made the horse start, he never
waited to hear more. He turned the screw at once,
and went flying off through the air.

“Alas!” cried the Indian, “he has
gone off without learning how to come back. Never
will he be able to stop the horse unless he finds the
second peg.”

The King was terribly frightened when he heard the
Indian’s words, for, by this time, the Prince
had disappeared from sight.

“Wretch,” he cried, “thou shalt
be cast into prison, and unless my son returns in
safety, thou shalt be put to death.”

Meanwhile the Prince had gone gaily sailing up into
the air until he reached the clouds, and could no
longer see the earth below. This was very pleasant,
and he felt that he had never had such a delicious
ride in his life before. But presently he began
to think it was time to descend. He screwed the
peg round and round, backwards and forwards, but it
seemed to make no difference. Instead of coming
down he sailed higher and higher, until he thought
he was going to knock his head against the blue sky.

What was to be done? The Prince began to grow
a little nervous, and he felt over the horse’s
neck to see if there was another peg to be found anywhere.
To his joy, just behind the ear. He touched a
small screw, and when he turned it, he felt he was
going slower and slower, and gently turning round.
Then he shouted with joy as the Enchanted Horse flew
downwards through the starry night, and he saw, stretched
out before him, a beautiful city gleaming white through
the purple mantle of the night.

Everything was strange to him, and he did not know
in what direction to guide the horse, so he let it
go where it would, and presently it stopped on the
roof of a great marble palace. There was a gallery
running round the roof, and at the end of the gallery
there was a door leading down some white marble steps.

The Prince began at once to descend the steps, and
found himself in a great hall where a row of black
slaves were sleeping soundly, guarding the entrance
to a room beyond.

Very softly the Prince crept past the guards, and
lifting the curtain from the door, looked in.